BlackBerry Q5 formally unveiled as cheaper QWERTY handset

The BlackBerry Q5 has been officially unveiled, with the repeatedly leaked, QWERTY toting BB10 handset formally shown off at BlackBerry Live.

Announced by BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins, the BlackBerry Q5 follows on from the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 as the company’s BB10 powered handsets, with the mid-range device sporting the manufacturer’s trademark physical QWERTY keyboard.

“BlackBerry is excited to bring a new BlackBerry QWERTY smartphone, the BlackBerry Q5, to our customers in selected markets around world,” Thorsten Heins, President and CEO of BlackBerry said. “The BlackBerry Q5 gives you the best of everything with its cutting-edge BlackBerry 10 functionality and a physical QWERTY keyboard. It is for youthful fans that are passionate, confident and bold, and it makes it easy for them to have fun, create, share and stay connected.”BlackBerry Q5 FeaturesRunning BlackBerry’s trademark physical QWERTY keyboard, the BlackBerry Q5 is the third BlackBerry 10 handset to be formally unveiled, with the compact, handset set to target “budget and emerging markets” according to BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins.

Offering confirmation that the BlackBerry Q5 will feature a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, Heins revealed that the budget BlackBerry Q5 will line up as a more wallet friendly revision of the BlackBerry Q10, with the handset coming in a variety of colours.

Pairing the physical keyboard with the same 3.1-inch 720p HD display as the BlackBerry Q10, the new BlackBerry Q5, processor and camera are still unknown. Despite this, Heins unveiled that, in a bid to attract the youth markets, the handset will be made available in red, black, white and pink colour schemes.

A device that is set to focus heavily on the company’s BBM messaging service, the BlackBerry Q5 will benefit from all manner of BlackBerry 10 features, with Time Shift and Story Maker modes both making the cut.

With 8GB of internal storage and 2GB of RAM, the BlackBerry Q5 saves on cost with a plastic heavy form factor that feels notably cheaper than that of the Q10. However, with a 2100mAh Lithium-Ion battery, 5-megapixel rear-mounted camera and a second 2-megapixel snapper up front, the Q5 features list is still a strong array of innards. Lining up at 10.8mm thick, the handset weighs just 120g.BlackBerry Q5 Release Date and PriceWhile the manufacturer has failed to offer precise details on the BlackBerry Q5 release date, or indeed pricing, Thorsten Heins confirmed that the handset will start to hit retailers “during the summer.”

According to the company, the BlackBerry Q5 will “be available in selected markets in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia (including the Asia Pacific region), and Latin America, with expected availability beginning in July.”More to follow.